Category Archives: Week In Pictures

Hello from a very overcast, cool Portland! My office is in an old brick building which gets drafty so I’m sitting here at my desk next to a space heater looking over my shoulder at the big, dark clouds behind me.

Moody, drizzly days like this are really great for focusing and getting work done and boy, do I have a lot of it at the moment. I had friends and clients in town and it’s always sad to say goodbye but the best people to know are the ones where when you meet again, it feels like no time has passed at all.

Whenever I come across something amazing in a magazine or catalog, I tape it to my wall immediately. I’m loving this modern, sunshiny vibe.

How was your week? Mine was full of a lot of behind the scenes tasks that didn’t necessarily equate to pretty pictures. Business stuff is rarely photogenic but an absolute necessity. I revamped the Branch media kit and it was a good reminder that talking about your business and marketing yourself, no matter how many times you do it is still difficult. It’s one of those things that takes constant insight and practice. Once that was done, I reworked all our internal documents to match. The rest of my time was spent sending out a stack of estimates and taking a bunch of calls.

None of these moments leave room for pretty pictures…but that’s what real life often looks like. Sometimes, the things that matter just don’t translate visually to Instagram. But, getting shit done and keeping everything running smoothly is the most important.

Cake stands are my new favorite office hack to get my plants grouped together. I have a ton of tiny succulents and everything was feeling a bit cluttered so this did the trick.

It’s so crazy that it’s already been a year since I moved into this studio space. During the first six months, I was traveling constantly and had a hard time finding a rhythm so it feels good to be home for the foreseeable future, making progress. Traveling is exciting but it often forces you to put your business on hold because you have very little time to take on new things — it becomes a balancing act where you’re just trying to maintain what you have going on. The last month home has been AWESOME. Things I had on my list for two years are getting crossed off which leads to the next topic…

I want to personally thank every one of you who signed up for the Branch Bulletin, a new monthly newsletter from my design studio. Complete disclosure here: I was scared to death to send it out. That’s completely laughable, considering that I’ve been blogging for close to 15 years. But, blog posts can be edited again and again. Mailing lists? Once you hit send, a few hundred (or more) folks have your message sitting in their inbox. There’s no going back.

I sat on that first newsletter all day, writing and re-writing. Was it good enough to send? Where was all this performance anxiety coming from? A deadline is a deadline! Finally, I pushed send.

The reason I’m telling you this story is that there are some things in life that aren’t the most fun to do. They are hard so we keep putting them off. Putting a project off for a day then turns into a week, then a year, then two years. I’d been wanting to write a newsletter for TWO WHOLE YEARS.

On Friday, after I sent the first one, I wondered why I hadn’t made the time earlier. Go do that thing you need to do. It’s not as bad as you think. Run that errand, hit send on that email, ask for that promotion, sign that lease on a creative work space, clean out your closet, publish your first blog post. You can do it!

Hi and Happy early Halloween to you! Do you have any fun plans lined up? I’m taking it easy and hitting the town with a bunch of family including my beloved grandparents. Should be a good time!

Now that I’m not traveling as much, I’ve been making more time to explore my own city which has been AWESOME. My friend Emily from Catalyst Coffee and I made a day of adventuring around Portland. We started at the Nob Hill Barista (some of the best coffee in town), made our way down to a few shops including Back Talk (check out their site to see the AMAZING clothing racks), then onto magazine shopping at Rich’s Cigar Store and finally, lunch at Marmo (see above).

Oh, I also finally bought some Lush products! I’ve visited their stores around the world but was always too overwhelmed by the options to even know where to start. I found a great sales lady at the Portland location who helped me pick out the best dry shampoo (no gross silicone additives like other brands) and some leave-in conditioner. Since I’m new to the brand, I’d love to hear what your favorite products are. Any recommendations of what I should try next?

I always get a little scared when I have to visit my accountant (to the point that I wear my metallic gold sneakers for good luck) but by the end of our meetings, I’m laughing like a madwoman. I swear that he’s a part-time comedian. And, he makes understanding numbers kind of fun. Even funnier is the bike rack outside of his office!

I finally made it to Trader Vic’s and it was everything I could have hoped for! I’ve been making the tiki bar rounds in Portland since I got back from Palm Springs and they have a fantastic happy hour. Plus, check out that swanky dining room!

Oh, Portland. It’s been raining every day and I’m ready for a mug of apple cider and curling up with a good magazine. Have a great weekend, friends!

P.S. Today, I’m sending out the first ever Branch Bulletin — it’s my studio mailing list and I’m sharing a very personal story that most freelancers will be able to relate to big time. Hop on over to the site and sign up at the bottom of the page to receive yours! xo

Brrr! Baby, it’s cold outside! I hope you had a good week. I’ve been back home for a bit now but still feel like I’m settling in. This is the first time in three years I feel like I’ve been able to slow down, focus on getting my home and workspace just right and think about processes. It’s time to start asking myself: are things running as smoothly as they possibly can?

In an effort to make my workspace feel more personalized, I’ve been adding some special touches. Even the smallest details can make a big difference. I just finished burning the most amazing Jonathan Adler candle and planted some succulents — it’s a nice touch on my desk.

The coolest thing that happened this week: seeing Madonna live in concert. I was in total nosebleed seats and without my real camera but she still blew my mind. She’s been someone I’ve admired for a few decades now and getting the change to see her rock out in Portland with her Rebel Heart Tour was absolute magic. Her big smile and chatting in between songs reaffirmed why she’s had such a lengthy, successful career — she knows how to relate to her fans and is incredibly thankful. If you have a chance to catch her on tour, find a way to make it happen. It’s 100% worth it!

Over the weekend, I got to work on revamping my inspiration board. It’s to the right of our workspace area at Branch and had been the same since last November. I stripped it bare, kept a few old things and added in a bunch of new. Just that slight shuffle made a big difference. My favorite addition is that “Finish what you started” message. 😉

When I dreamed of having my own design studio years ago, I imagined my days being filled with clients who were more like friends. No drama, no micro-managing, just really good work. For the most part, things have turned out that way and Kat is one of the best clients around. Five years in, we have an almost psychic ability with her projects and she is amazing at sending gifts so on-point it’s like I have a personal shopper. This week, this notebook arrived and I am completely obsessed. So good, right?!

Another look at the office inspiration board — those lips HAD to stick around! If you want to build a big inspiration board of your own on a budget, check out this DIY post!

This message is now taped to my computer. I have these inspirational cards all over my spaces and if you want some of your own, they’re by Kikki K.

Still on a waffle kick! Normally I’m a Cheerios or yogurt sort of person but frozen waffles and a handful of berries make breakfast feel so much more fancy!

This Dapper and Wise sign is pretty awesome. If you’re visiting Portland, definitely stop in. Their decor (and chai) is some of the best around.

Have a great weekend, friends! I’m looking forward to hanging out with my dad (family time = absolutely necessary) and attending an early Halloween party. Do you know what you’re going to be yet? I always go as a nurse or Minnie Mouse since I have all the gear on hand. 😉

Happy Friday! Traveling off and on for the last month has been fun but it’s so good to finally be back home. I spent the weekend traveling from Palm Springs to LA and visiting as many old haunts as possible with Joey. We bounced from Hollywood to Beverly Hills to Venice Beach to Manhattan Beach in quick succession. Walking through the city, then the canals and finally, along the beach was a nice contrast and wrapped up our time away nicely.

Coming back home, the leaves have been falling and the air is more crisp. It’s time for leather jackets, scarves and boots and I love it. I’ve been slowing down, sleeping in more as the mornings stay darker longer and enjoying regular breakfasts of waffles and lattes.

This Beverly Hills sign was swarming with tourists but I couldn’t help myself.

Nice to meet you!

I'm Shauna, a graphic designer and entrepreneur. I spend my days as the Creative Director of Branch, a boutique design studio. This is my personal blog, which has been going strong since 2007. I'm obsessed with shoes, squirrels and traveling. Read more…

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